Dana assumed Kevin would come with her when she broke up with Dan (the couple are played by real-life ex’s and series co-creators Aubrey Plaza and Wengert), but instead he walked out on both of him (pets and humans talk together as more or less equals in this cartoon world). He soon regrets it when he starts crashing at Furrever Friends. At least he finds some new cronies including Armando, a very cultured and flamboyant Persian; Judy, an aging kitten afflicted with multiple ooze-producing ailments; Cupcake, a hard-partying sex-worker alley cat, and Bear, who is like the Ron Swanson of the canine world.
The shelter residents are intermittently funny. However, Seth, the human proprietor, and his abusive shih tzu Brandi regularly generate litter-boxfuls of cringe. Their shtick becomes painful.
Admittedly, each episode has its laughs, but after watching one or two, you will become keenly aware that you are just listening to pets cuss like sailors. That is really it. The humor starts there and stays there. To be fair, there are a few slightly daring jokes, but Wengert and Plaza over-rely blue language and foul looking fluids.
If there is a second season, the co-creators and their writers’ room should impose a per episode cap on raunch, to force themselves to mine cleverer veins of humor. Right now, Kevin just feels like a bunch of other “edgy” animated series that have already come and gone. Also, the animation is serviceable, but it is far from the Titmouse studio’s best work.
As it is, Kevin is frustratingly hit-or-miss. It needs more wit and less easy low road gags. You will most likely laugh a little, but there is nothing to the show that will give it any true staying power. Only worth sampling as a time-killer curiosity, Kevin starts streaming today (4/20, probably not a coincidence) on Prime Video.
